Media Monitor
Balers
Jute balers urge govt to reconsider order reducing stock limitedit
Devdiscourse – Online
Jute balers have urged the government to reconsider an order asking them to reduce their stock limit to 750 quintals per godown, claiming it will not solve the crisis of the industry which is already under strain. In order to increase supply to mills, the Jute Commissioner recently allowed balers to stock a maximum of 750 quintals of golden fibre in each godown. The quantum is 50 per cent of the previous permitted stock limit, balers said adding that a single godown is run and operated by several balers on cost-sharing basis. ”… the combined stock limit of 750 quintals for multiple balers in one godown is too little to run the baling operations by an ...
Budget
Union Budget 2022: A broad brush approach to a forward-looking agriculture agendaedit
First Post – Online
In the run-up to India@100, the Union Budget 2022 has put out a charter for agriculture that is forward-looking but takes a broad-brush approach on serious issues related to sustainability of farming and boosting farmers’ income. The Finance Minister did not speak about doubling farmers’ income in particular, or anything specific to agricultural markets, or support prices after the repeal of the farm laws. The Budget announcements related to crop diversification, natural farming, and income safety net are nothing outstanding and aligned to the programmes that the government has been pursuing. Digital agriculture in the context of agritech start-ups and their partnership with farmers, and FPOs is a welcome highlight of this agri budget.
In Economic Survey and Budget 2022, Agriculture is the Elephant in the Roomedit
The Wire – Online
The Economic Survey of 2021-22 makes no mention of the enactment of three farm laws, sixteen months long farmers’ agitation and repeal of the laws by the Parliament. Similarly, in the budget speech of the Finance Minister, there is no reference to doubling of farm income, which was to be achieved by 2022-23. One gets an uncomfortable feeling that the agricultural reforms are on the back burner, at least for the time being. It could well be due to ongoing assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. The Economic Survey highlighted the importance of crop diversification from water guzzling crops like paddy and sugarcane to cotton, horticulture, nutri-cereals, oilseeds and pulses. The Survey further recommended ...
Budget And Environment: Transitioning To A Carbon-Neutral Economyedit
Youth Ki Awaaz – Online
The current budget lays the foundation for the next 25 years. Keywords like “energy transition” and “climate action” were some of the major highlights of the budget. The finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, unveiled the union budget for the financial year (FY) 2022-23. Nicknamed as the “booster budget”, it wants to focus on strengthening business activity and boosting infrastructure development. India is at a crucial juncture, as it celebrates azadi ka amrit mahotsav (75 years of independence). Firstly, it is under pressure to uplift 134 million people out of poverty.
CLAAS Mentions
Agriculture Experts & Industrialists Share Their Views On Budget 2022edit
Krishi Jagran – Online
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today (1 Feb) presented the annual Budget that was focused on ensuring assured income to the farming community with an announcement of Rs. 2.37 lakh crore as direct payments for minimum support price (MSP) to wheat and paddy growers for the fiscal year 2022-23. She said that “Farm procurement value for FY23 to be ₹2.37 trillion”.
Mrityunjaya Singh, Managing Director, CLAAS Agricultural Machinery Pvt. Ltd. says, “We at CLAAS India have always believed in the welfare of farmers by promoting effective farm practices. The outlay of direct MSP in the Union Budget for paddy & wheat will be a boon to small & medium-sized farmers. The focus on digital intervention to improve farming ...
Govt. Policies
Committed to forming MSP panel: Govtedit
The Economic Times – Online
The government is committed to forming a panel on Minimum Support Price (MSP) and the Election Commission has said it can be done after the polls are over, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said in the Rajya Sabha on Friday. While announcing repeal of three farm laws in November last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to set up a committee to discuss the farmers’ demand of a legal guarantee on MSP. Replying to a supplementary question during the Question Hour, Tomar said the government had written to the Election Commission in view of assembly elections in five states.
Monsoon + Indian Agriculture
Samba paddy acreage in Tiruchy doubles in over a decade, thanks to copious monsoon rainsedit
The New Indian Express – Online
Several farmers in Manapparai, Vaiyampatti, and Marungapuri, which are considered to be dry areas in the district, have successfully completed Samba paddy cultivation for the first time in over 10 years. Thanks to incessant rains last year. Known for its scarce availability of water, not many people in the said areas take up paddy cultivation. However, the situation turned for the better during the monsoon. The average rainfall in Manapparai was well above 50mm, according to IMD data. The excess rainfall filled to the brim all the irrigation tanks in the blocks, solving decades-long irrigation woes there. This sowed hope among farmers to take up paddy cultivation with less hesitancy.
Unseasonal Rainfall Causes Huge Crop Loss; Farmers Seek Compensationedit
Krishi Jagran – Online
Haryana farmers’ hopes for a bumper Rabi harvest may have been dashed by unseasonal rains in January, as thousands of acres of standing crop have been submerged or destroyed, prompting them to file for crop-loss assistance. According to statistics, a total of 16,617 farmers have filed compensation claims under the Prime Minister Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), alleging losses of 50-100 percent on about 50,000 acres of wheat, mustard, barley, and gram covered by the scheme. Applications are flowing in from practically all districts, according to officials with the state agricultural department. However, there are indications that rain-induced water stagnation has harmed thousands of acres of standing mustard, wheat, and barley crops in Haryana’s northern and ...
Paddy in India
Telangana procures record 70 lakh tonnes of paddyedit
Telangana Today – Online
Civil Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalakar said the government procured a record 70.30 lakh tonnes of paddy for the 2021-22 Vanakalam season. “This was record procurement for the season even in the united Andhra Pradesh. Telangana stood third in the country among the States in terms of paddy procurement,” the Minister said. In a statement issued here on Thursday, the Minister said paddy worth Rs 13,757 crore was purchased from nearly 12.87 lakh farmers through 6,872 procurement centres across the State. The government will deposit the amount into the accounts of farmers in a week, he said.
Stubble Burning
Budget 2022: 5-7% Biomass Pellets in Thermal Plants to Reduce Stubble Burning, Sigh of Relief for NCRedit
News18 – Online
To reduce stubble burning, a major concern for the National Capital Region (NCR) every winter, it has been made mandatory for thermal power plants to use biomass pellets as 5-7% of their fuel mix, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in her Union budget speech on Tuesday. With the onset of winter, farm fires become rampant in northern Indian states, particularly in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. Burning of crops worsens the air quality in the region during winter and contributes to the alarming pollution levels in the neighboring Delhi.
Tractor industry
India’s First E-tractor Start-up Cellestial E-Mobility Inks Deal With Mexican Firmedit
Republic World – Online
Hyderabad Cellestial E-Mobility strengthened by its acquisition by Tubes investments forges onwards to Mexico! A partnership with Grupo Marvelsa to export India’s First Electric Tractor. Cellestial E-Mobility, the manufacturers of India’s first Electric Tractors, seek to change the way the world approaches industrial automobiles by establishing a footprint in Mexico. The Hyderabad-based start-up Cellestial E-Mobility, makers of India’s first e-tractor for the Agri, Airport GSE and Goods Carrier sector, as part of its global expansion strategy announced on February 3 that it has inked a marketing, sales distribution partnership with Mexican Company Grupo Marvelsa. The 30-year-old Mexican partner will bring into the deal its strength of 2,500 dealership network, 800 authorised service centres, and a ...